Phuket Vegetarian Festival Wraps Up

Phuket Vegetarian Festival Wraps Up

Phuket Vegetarian Festival Wraps Up on Sunday the 9th of October with a culmination of closing ceremonies and festivities throughout the island. Thousands of people, both locals and tourists, gathered at shrines and on the streets of Phuket to send off the Emperor Gods once again.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival Wraps Up

On the final day of the festival, street processions and closing preparations began early on Sunday morning. One of the main shrines, Sui Boon Tong, saw large numbers of locals and participants join the morning street procession.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2016 Final Night

The festivities continued throughout the day, but the most impressive, the Grand Finale, extended into the late evening.

As a farewell to the Nine Emperor Gods, participants joined a large street procession from various shrines, walking all the way to Saphan Hin. This culminated in a massive display of fireworks, firecrackers, smoke and lighting as thousands made their farewells and thanks to the Gods. This final procession is to accompany the Gods as they depart Phuket once again.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2016 Final Night

The streets were buzzing with great displays of firecrackers, fireworks and smoke. Local people joined in on the festivities by setting off firecrackers on the side of the roads right around town. Just before midnight, all the shrines that partook in the event held a farewell ritual before the lantern poles. The lantern poles were raised to mark the start of the festivities.

They were lowered again after the closing ceremonies, marking the end of the festival.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a huge event, drawing visitors from around Asia and the world. It can be witnessed in other parts of Thailand but is the largest here in Phuket. Phuket has a large population from Chinese ancestry, making the island the original birthplace of the event.

In 2016, it is expected that the Phuket Vegetarian Festival will generate around THB 40 million in revenue for the national economy.